Pools defeated by 10-men and a REF!

Match report: Franchise F.C versus Pools

 
Our roller-coaster season continued in front of a sparse crowd in the unfinished concrete bowl.

On a beautiful late-summers day a couple of hundred Poolies gave up the comfort of the sofa for an early start and the prospect of a second successive away win. As the teams were warming up there was the worrying sight of the South East Poolies Photographer, Terry, walking about on the pitch. Perhaps he had been called into the 1st Team. No much simpler he was on a media pass!
 
Pools made two changes because of injury with "Lord" Ritchie and Fabian Yantorno coming in for James Brown and Joe Gamble. We started in our now familiar 4-5-1 formation although it looked more like 4-1-4-1 at times with Murray or Humphreys sitting just in front of the back line. As in our last away game at Yeovil we started brightly and a free kick from Evan Horwood caused problems as early as the first minute. Adam Boyd should have done better in the third minute from close range but took one touch too many and the chance was gone. Yantorno made his first contribution after six minutes with a cross that was just too high for Andy Monkhouse. The home team went close after 15 minutes when Horwood lost his man - not for the only time during the game - inside the box but Scott Flinders rescued the situation with a very good save. We went straight down the other end and Monkhouse nearly broke through the home defence after a good run. Humphreys went even closer after 22 minutes with a great strike from just outside the box which the goalkeeper watched flash past the post. We had the ball in the net after 29 minutes courtesy of the opposition but unfortunately the ball had already gone out of play before Monkhouse crossed into the six yard area.
 
It was a measure of how we had restricted the home team mainly to long range efforts that they had their first corner after 36 minutes, against the half dozen of our own. Soon afterwards a goal-bound effort from Horwood was deflected over, much to the obvious relief of the opposition and their fans, the first time we realised they were actually there ! An entertaining first half came to a close with Pools pushing forward but not threatening the opposition goal. We looked dangerous from set pieces but created very little in open play, and although we had less possession we only looked in trouble when they attacked down our weaker left side (more of that later)
 
The second half opened quietly with the only worrying moment coming when a home forward threw himself to the ground in a blatant attempt to con the officials. Some people call it "simulation", I call it CHEATING. In a worrying repeat of out last away game the midfield five did not support Boyd as well and we conceded far too much possession and territory, although in a rare attack Sam Collins went close with a header from a corner. Andy Monkhouse got himself booked after 66 minutes probably for disputing a crap decision by the referee - not his last of the day - and shortly afterwards Paul Murray joined him in the book for a VERY late challenge.
 
The questionable defensive abilities of Evan Horwood cost us after 76 minutes when he played the entire opposition forward line onside, enabling the home side to take lead with a shot from close range. Leon McSweeney came on for Ritchie after 80 minutes and two minutes later he was pulled back by their carrot-topped home captain who was shown red after the referee consulted his linesman. The free kick that followed looked like it had been devised after a few in The Corner Flag, it couldn't have come from the training ground it was so bad!
 
The shortcomings of the referee were highlighted three minutes from the end of normal time when O'Hanlon clearly pulled back Antony Sweeney six yards from goal as he was about to shoot. It was such an obvious foul even Stevie Wonder would have struggled not to have seen it. Despite a late effort from Sam Collins that went just wide the "cheats" held on and consigned Pools to a second consecutive defeat.
 

Observations:
 
I agree that the 4-5-1 formation suits us on our travels but for the second away game running the "five" dropped too deep after the interval. This means a lack of support for Adam Boyd and enables the opposition to control large periods of the play, putting the defence under increasing pressure. We didn't really get at the home defence until the last ten minutes, and I think that Mick Wadsworth has to let our playmakers off the leash a bit more. Losing 0-1 is not good even if we play well, and a few away wins/draws will help to take the pressure off at home.
 
SEP man of the match - Gary Liddle

Report by : Flicko and Fluffy